Ford offers world premiere of Everest, an all-new 7-seater family SUV
At the 24th Bangkok Motor Show
03-27-03
Autoindex.org
Ford Motor Co issued the following press release:
Ford Motor Company today unveiled the all-new Everest, a 7-seat family Sport Utility Vehicle, at the 24th Bangkok International Motor Show, the second-largest auto show in Asia-Pacific. The newest sport utility from Ford debuts in Thailand and ultimately will be available in more than 50 countries.
Everest is Ford’s latest addition to its growing family of sport utility vehicles. The new SUV offers safe, comfortable, flexible and affordable family transportation in a highly-styled configuration with the command seating position and road presence that consumers prefer.
Key features of the Everest include:
Superior comfort: interior roominess with seating for 7 passengers, with more head and leg room than competitors
Safety: 4-wheel anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution, dual front driver and passenger airbags, and seat belts for 7 passengers
Convenience: SYNCHRO action foldable second row seat for best-in-class access to third row seats, one-hand side-opening rear tailgate, standard side step bar, foldable third row seat for extra cargo space; and rear cabin air-conditioning with a dual climate control A/C system for front and rear passengers
Luxury interiors with high equipment levels and excellent craftsmanship
Tiered or theater style seating offering excellent visibility for all passengers with newly designed seats contoured and trimmed for more comfort
Power steering for enhanced handling in all driving conditions
Specially tuned suspension offering excellent ride and handling -- on or off road
Performance-proven 2.5L inter-cooled turbo diesel engine (121hp and 277Nm torque) with available 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive with choice of automatic or manual transmission
Tough authentic SUV exterior styling with commanding road presence
Everest's interior gives an impression of spaciousness and luxury. It seats 7 passengers comfortably with easy in-and-out access to the third row seats. Its unique dual control air-conditioning system comes with two additional sets of vents for the rear seat to ensure comfort for the center and rear seat passengers, an ideal feature for the tropical climates of Asia. The interior incorporates many small "surprise and delight" features such as individual cup-holders, creative stowage room and front seat back map pockets equipped with smaller cell-phone pockets. Overall, the effect is one of thoughtful craftsmanship.
In addition, the Everest Limited Edition will feature leather seat and door trim, MP3 player, upgraded interior appointments, and lockable spare tire carrier.
The unmistakable exterior styling cues of Everest clearly identify this latest SUV within the larger Ford family of vehicles. Everest projects a strong and tough image with its high ride height and substantial proportions. On the road, the Everest offers a commanding road presence.
Boasting best-in-class ride and handling, the Everest is notably superior when changing lanes and in tight cornering. Its vehicle dynamics were developed to offer predictable performance in varied driving conditions. Everest handles comfortably in both city and off-road situations, thus reducing driver fatigue and providing for greater passenger comfort.
Everest is among the leaders in protecting its occupants in a variety of incidents. Everest is designed to meet all applicable local regulations, as well as additional Ford safety guidelines. Features include dual airbags for driver and passenger, individual seat belts in all seating positions, 4-wheel anti-lock brake system, a high visibility "command" driving position, side-door intrusion beams, collapsible steering column, child-proof rear door locks, and fuel tank shields, among others.
Everest offers a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. It is available in two engine types – 2.5L inter-cooled turbo diesel and 2.6L EGI petrol engine in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive. The 2.5L turbo diesel engine delivers a "fun to drive" experience because of the added power and torque from the turbocharger.
"Everest was designed and engineered to meet the needs of our Asian customers," according to Chuck Bambenek, chief platform engineer. "It offers superior comfort and convenience, flexibility, driving dynamics and Ford’s high safety standards.
"We made sure that we carried out extensive consumer research in key markets like South Africa, Malaysia and Thailand to gather highly important customer feedback that helped us in the vehicle design and development," Bambenek said. "For example, customers told us they wanted authentic 4x4 looks and capability, so we relocated the spare tire from underneath the box to the rear tailgate."
"Customers told us they wanted more comfortable and functional interiors, and if you look at the Everest, the interiors offer a level of luxury and comfort that is class-leading. For example, Everest's spaciousness, SYNCHRO action second row seat for easy access to third row seating, dual control air conditioning system best suited for tropical climates, details such as individual cup-holders, creative stowage room, auxiliary power points, separate water reservoir … just to name a few," added Bambenek.
Today, Ford offers the broadest and most far-reaching line-up of SUVs on the planet. Ford’s authentic SUV heritage is exemplified by the Explorer, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Expedition, Excursion, Escape and now … the Everest. Explorer has been a runaway success since its debut in 1990, and it has remained the best-selling SUV in the world for more than 10 years. Escape also proved to be a huge success with the young-at-heart customers who appreciate its nimble maneuverability and sporty styling that is versatile for work and play.
Everest complements these vehicles. It offers customers a SUV that is designed to meet their needs for safe, comfortable and flexible family transportation. Everest allows one to experience life and all its adventures with one’s family and loved ones with No Boundaries. In true No Boundaries spirit, the name Everest resonates positively with "can-do" spirit, "top-of-world," "overcoming challenges" and "adventure."
Thailand is the first country to introduce the new Everest beginning with the world premiere at the Bangkok International Motor Show. This debut will be followed by a multi-phased introduction planned for Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei. Ultimately, Everest will be available in more than 50 countries including those in the Middle East and Africa such as UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Angola, Ghana, Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast as well as Tahiti in the South Pacific.
The car will be produced at AutoAlliance in Rayong province factory with 80 per cent local content.
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Stacy94PGT
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid.
The Everest is an exciting new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) from Ford that delivers priority family needs for safe, comfortable and flexible family transportation, as well as the SUV image and road presence that consumers want.
With the growing segment in SUVs, the Everest will appeal to customers who are ready to consider the purchase of a more sophisticated product - one which provides versatile usage and refined vehicle dynamics, with luxurious interior and high feature and equipment specification levels. The Everest is positioned precisely to meet the needs of this customer group while offering exceptional value for money.
The Everest is styled and engineered to fit comfortably in the Ford family of SUVs, which interestingly dates back to the "first SUV" or camper derived from a modified Model T by Henry Ford. Today, Ford has a strong heritage in SUVs that is recognized and trusted worldwide, including the Explorer, Explorer Sport, Expedition, Excursion, Explorer Sport Trac, Escape, and now Everest.
In true No Boundaries spirit, the Everest looks tough, feels robust and is just plain fun to drive.
Key Customer Benefits
Key customer benefits provided by the Everest to customers are in the following areas:
Best-In-Class Ride & Handling – offers confident handling & superior ride comfort and good body control)
Class leading dual control A/C system
Genuine 7-seater - spaciousness and comfort
Good 2nd seat functionality (foldable) and convenient egress/ingress
Interior luxury features and equipment levels
High level of Quality and Build, incorporating "craftsmanship" in design
User friendliness of side opening tailgate
Standard safety features
Capable of true off-road driving conditions
Key Product Strengths
Exterior SUV Styling - looks tough, reliable and dependable with commanding road presence
Interior Roominess
Ergonomics, seating flexibility, interior features
Tiered seating - a slightly higher H point for each row of seating combined with the large glass area provides all occupants with excellent visibility
Luggage/Cargo space and versatility
Quality & Craftsmanship in design
Ease of Entry and Exit - particularly to 2nd and 3rd row seats
Removable 3rd row seat (excluding Thailand)
Dual Climate Control A/C System
Exceptional Value Package
Occupant Safety – including ABS brakes, seat belts for all seating positions including 3rd row seat, dual airbags
Vehicle Security - Anti-theft alarm and engine immobilizer
True Off Road Capability
Side hinged tailgate
Full width tailgate for ease of loading/unloading cargo
Tailgate mounted spare tire
Overall brake performance
Interior storage features and capacity
Powerful mid range engine performance
Exterior Design and Features
Appearance
The Everest has a "bright" front-end appearance across the full width with multi-reflector headlamps, clear combination lamps, large chrome grille, and bumper styling; these have been designed in accordance with the Ford DNA blueprint. The front end of this vehicle identifies it as unmistakably from the Ford family of vehicles.
From the side view, the Everest presents a strong image with its high ride height, balanced wheel well openings and substantial proportions below the bodyside moldings. The side steps, mudflaps and overwheel moldings provide an integrated rugged accent theme along the length of the vehicle and underline the impression that this is a well equipped, off road vehicle. In market research, participants confirmed that the Ford Everest "looks like a 4x4" should look. The smooth roofline and roof racks give a streamlined appearance, and the large tinted front and rear glass areas look modern and draw attention to the vehicle's excellent occupant visibility. The large rear side doors also indicate that this vehicle has excellent passenger ingress/egress dimensions.
The rear view reaffirms Everest as a genuine SUV with its side opening rear door and spare tire mounted on the rear door, as well as the stylish rear taillights and convenient step in the bumper which is styled to improve access to items on the roof rack.
Customers also have the flexibility to develop the appearance of their vehicle further by specifying customized Everest accessory items to create their own vehicle image to meet their individual lifestyle preferences.
Key Design Features
Large alloy wheels
Rear step bumper
Roof rails
Electric rear window defogger
Rear window wiper/washer
Chrome exterior side mirrors
Chrome exterior door handles
Rear wheelip moldings
Bodyside molding
Aluminum sidesteps
Rear spoiler
Front tow hook
Bodycolor front bumper
Tinted glass
Chrome front grille
Aero-halogen headlamps
Clear Combination Lamps
Front and rear mudflaps integrated into wheelip moldings
Single tone or two-tone exterior colors
Tailgate mounted spare tire
Chrome tailgate handle with integrated rear license plate, rear appliqué and rear license plate illumination
Back-up lamps integrated into rear bumper
Full width tailgate opening for ease of loading/unloading cargo
Interior Design & Features
Interior Design Concept
First impressions of the Everest interior are light, spacious, luxurious & highly-equipped with versatile seating:
Interior Lightness & Space has been created by adopting a two-tone interior: a light "Oyster" color for components above the beltline and darker "Storm" grey below the beltline.
Luxury and Comfort are immediately apparent with the use of a "Titanium" contrast color to highlight features on the Instrument panel and on the door trim, plus the extensive use of velour on the seats and door trims.
High Specification Features and Equipment. The Ford Everest is an exceptionally well-equipped vehicle with many small "surprise and delight" features, which illustrate a thoughtful approach to the interior design.
"Tiered Seating" provides a slightly higher H Point for each row of seating and combined with the large glass area, gives all occupants excellent visibility.
Craftsmanship which defines the concept of "subconscious harmony of design and function" seamlessly absorbed into every aspect of the vehicle’s development. It is about all the senses – not just visual – but also touch, smell and sound. As an example, the choice of materials used on the steering wheel, shift knob and park brake handle offers the same feel, grain and texture – this results in harmony of touch.
Key Design Features
Dual control A/C system – for optimal interior comforts, a unique dual control air-conditioning system with two additional sets of A/C vents for rear seat passengers ensures that the air-conditioning can cool the center and rear sections of the cabin quickly and efficiently without having to rely on the front Instrument Panel vents to cool the whole cabin.
2nd row seat – 50/50 double folding – a single release lever mechanism allows an easy and seamless action to continue lifting the seat forward into a "double folded" vertical position that provides easy access to the 3rd row seat with spacious ingress/egress
Genuine 3rd row seats – The 3rd row seat back can be folded flat providing cargo space for large, bulky items. In addition, the 3rd row seat can also be fully removed from the vehicle using simple "Unlatch and Remove" release latches at the base of the seat (excluding Thailand)
Individual cup holders – a total of 7 cup holders ensures that there is a cup holder for every seating position
Radio/Audio System – standard feature includes a uniquely-tuned Premium audio system, designed to deliver car-like sound quality. Four full-size twin cone speakers have been tuned to provide optimum acoustic response for all occupants. In the Everest Limited Edition, the standard audio system comes with a CD player, MP3, tweeters and additional speakers
Seatbelts for all seating positions
Power windows
Power doorlocks – 4 doors + tailgate (interior release handle)
Auxiliary power points – front (cell phone, laptop, removable GPS system & other electronic equipment) and cargo area (cell phones, hand-held electronic games and also for camping and recreational items such as 12V powered refrigerator, water heater, stereo, camping stove, emergency lights, etc.)
Large front seat back map pockets with 2 additional (cell phone size stowage pockets on each front seat back
Twin-overhead console for flexi-storage
Covered vanity mirrors on both front sunvisors
High series center dome lamp with integrated map lights
Map pockets on all side doortrims
Integrated tailgate trim utility storage net
Separate rear washer reservoir
Vehicle Dynamics
The overall balance between Ride, Steering and Handling provides the Everest with a strong competitive advantage in vehicle dynamics.
In development, Everest performed exceptionally in diverse driving conditions, and handles comfortably in both city and off-road situations. In Thailand, the Everest will perform well in city traffic, on rough roads and in the country. In South Africa, Everest is equally impressive in high altitude, high temperature, dusty and off-road conditions, whereas in the mountainous areas of Hokaido in Japan, the ABS brakes demonstrate their effectiveness. The Everest proves to be a versatile, capable and comfortable vehicle in all conditions.
In particular, Everest offers a smooth ride (especially on rough road conditions), resulting in reduced driver fatigue. The vehicle has a quality ride feel with few squeaks or rattles and superior handling capability which is especially noticeable when lane changing and in tight cornering.
Steering & Handling – The Everest suspension has been tuned to produce easy handling at low speed, confident cornering performance and good sustainability at higher speeds.
Ride Comfort – The Everest provides good ride comfort while retaining the capability to handle tough off-road conditions
Off Road – good ground clearance, approach and departure angles confirm Everest’s off-road capability
Braking – the specification of 4W-ABS and 2 pot front calipers gives excellent brake performance and brake feel.
Quietness – Noise and vibration control has been a high priority in the development of the Everest, with a premium sound and insulation package specified to create a quiet cabin environment
Vehicle Performance – Everest powertrains provide responsive engine performance, particularly in the mid-range
Performance & Economy
The Everest is available in two different engines:
The 2.5L Diesel WLT engine is "among the leaders" for performance and competitive for fuel economy versus competitor models, yet the WLT engine is significantly more affordable.
The overhead cam WLT intercooled turbo diesel engine incorporates an intercooler for increased power, a refined intake system for quiet operation, indirect fuel injection, and twin internal counter-rotating balance shafts that minimize vibration and noise into the passenger compartment by attenuating second order vibration. Compared with radial-type turbochargers, the WLT diagonal exhaust gas flow into the turbocharger optimizes charging efficiency, reduces turbo lag, improves response at low speeds and permits a more compact turbocharger unit.
The turbine shaft is water-cooled to improve durability, and the three valve design uses two intake valves and one exhaust valve for each cylinder to improve intake and provide optimum power.
2.6L Petrol EGI Engine
The 2.6L Fuel Injected G6E engine is constructed with three valves per cyclinder. Delivering 90kW at 4500rpm and 206Nm at 3500rpm, this engine provides solid and dependable EGI Petrol performance.
Safety & Security
Safety Features
The Everest Safety standards is "amongst the leaders". The vehicle has been designed and verified to meet the core Ford Safety Design Guidelines (SDGLs) that apply to all Ford vehicles worldwide, as well as some additional SDGLs that are not required in Everest markets.
Major Safety Features are as follows:
Driver & Passenger Airbags - Low-pressure European standard dual (driver/front passenger) airbags are equipped as standard on all models. The airbags are activated by a sensor located at the floor under the center console.
4-Wheel ABS - Standard on all Everest models, 4-wheel ABS brakes prevent the wheels from locking up during hard braking and when braking firmly on surfaces with uneven traction. 4W-ABS provides increased driver braking control whether the vehicle is laden or unladen, cornering or straight-line, on wet or dry roads. 4W-ABS is a Dynamic Safety Feature giving drivers a much greater chance of steering out of dangerous driving situations as well as providing a positive brake response in all conditions.
Individual Seat Belts for all passengers including 3rd row seat positions. 3-point lap/shoulder belt available in all outboard seating positions while lap belt in all other seating positions are provided.
Visibility – The driver’s high seating position or H Point is designed to give clear visibility to both front corners of the vehicle and make it easier to judge overall vehicle width. Semi-concealed front wipers also contribute to an unobstructed forward view.
The seating configuration in Everest provides "tiered seating" for all occupants, providing excellent visibility for all passengers.
Other design features contribute to increased and clear visibility – large exterior side mirrors, concealed drip rails above side doors to divert rainwater, large multi-reflector headlamps for night time driving, front and rear wipers.
Key Safety Criteria are as follows:
Collapsible steering column
Fuel Tank Guards
Limited Slip Differential
Childproof Door Locks
Side door intrusion beams
Height adjustable head restraints for driver, front passenger, and 2nd row outboard passengers
High penetration resistant windshield
Interior materials burn resistant
Frontal Barrier Impact 30mph
- Injury criteria for belted front seat occupants
- Steering column intrusion
- Windshield retention
- Windshield zone intrusion
- Fuel system integrity
Everest models in a number of markets will be available with either alarm or immobilization systems (or both) as standard or optional features.
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on various components and parts
Engine Immobilizer – Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) is a theft protection feature, which prevents the engine from being started with an incorrectly coded key. It automatically shuts off fuel to the fuel injection system after two seconds. (This feature is standard for Thailand, Malaysia and South Africa).
Anti-Theft Alarm
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